How to find the right barber shop

How do you find the right barbershop with so many here in Downtown Hayward and neighboring cities? Do you ask around and take someones word for it (the best bet if their hair and personality are like yours. If so read no further) ? Do you go on yelp and read a ton of reviews that say how great all the shops are? Do you type, ‘barber shop near me’ in google and sift through the gazillion results for 2 days then jump back on Yelp? Wait a minute, how does everyone have 4 to 5 stars? They must all be great right? Well in their own way they are.

reviews, searches and more reviews, oh my

Google searches are great for finding recipes, medical diagnosis and cures, Yelp is great for food but they aren’t so useful for finding the best barbershop. You will find plenty 5 star shops near you and 1 shop with 3. How can they all have 4 to 5 stars (Remember the hi fivers and knuckle bumpers)? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think its wrong to ask for a review but just keep that in mind.

Filter those reviews

Look for reviews that describe the overall experience. Keep an eye out for ‘it was my first time here…’ Read the 1-4 star range. These are typically honest reviews from clients that don’t have personal ties to the shop. They will give you a sense of how punctual the shop is, what their customer service is like and even the odor of the shop! Check out one of ours below.

Read Eddy D.'s review of MGX Barbers on Yelp

Read the replies

Read replies from the shop owner and staff. Did they try to resolve any complaints? Did they sound accommodating or combative? If they were not accommodating then be weary. The way they respond will give you a sense of the shops professionalism. One thing I have learned about reviews is that they will leave a great review for an outstanding service or experience and a bad review for something on the opposite end of the spectrum but most reviews will be biased in a hair salon or barbershop setting due to the members only vibe to them.

the modern barbershop and the days of social

Now a days pictures are your best friend. Scan galleries, websites and social media. Look for your desired hair style and similar texture. Are all the styles in the gallery the same? If it happens to be the style you desire then you may have hit a home run because chances are it is their specialty. Skills vary greatly from barber to barber and galleries may revolve around the most experienced person in the shop. A safe bet is to send a screen shot of your desired style to the owner and request an appointment with the person who did the particular cut. Another thing to keep in mind when scanning galleries is to beware of overly photoshopped images and the use of hair enhancing products. Lots of times photos that look awesome have been designed to look awesome and the chances of you receiving a photoshoot cut are slim due to time constraints. Look for natural looking images instead and only use model shoots for inspiration and guidelines for your barber. It may seem like common sense but lots of barbers haven’t been trained in how to perform a proper client consultation so the picture you present can go a long way. The last thing but maybe the most important to consider is to view their social media. Are they all young? Do they look professional? Do they look friendly? Are they shooting dice? Is there a theme on their social media that you don’t agree with? If so, stay away because if you don’t feel right just by looking at pictures then chances are you wont look good leaving their shop.

SO WHERE is THE RIGHT BARBERSHOP?

How'd you know? We're conveniently located in downtown Hayward just a stones throw away from Castro Valley, a hop away from San Leandro, and a skip from Union city. We have great reviews from new and existing clients and we look forward to you becoming one of our very own knuckle bumbers! We recommend calling ahead to check wait times (smart wait system coming soon) To book an appointment click the button below for the quickest response or speak to anyone of our friendly barbers on the phone to schedule your first visit! Follow us on Social media and tell your friends about MGX!